It’s refreshing to know that if you should grow sick of Mumford & Sons, there are dozens of other ever-so-polite folk acts just waiting to waltz you off into a quaint country garden. Bard appear to be the latest such act. “The Springtime Fool” is a pleasant listen; a dreamy reminder of what the world was like in less polluted times.
If melody is key to a good folk song, then Bard start rather well on “Violets.” Theo Bard and Louisa Jones sing a hymn to the flowerbed, with Ewan Bleach using his clarinet sparingly, before leading with said instrument on “Born in London Town,” which deserves careful listening.
Musicianship throughout is never less than commendable, though it’s rather easy to take it all for granted as the mind interprets the lyrical imagery. Songs such as “Down into the Sea,” “Drums of Freedom” and “Peace, My Mind” suggest that this album can be as good as a film to an able mind. It’s not all whimsy and charm, though even the comparatively skiffled “Rambling with You” and “Beating of my Heart” can’t upset the peaceable feel to the album. In addition, the title track is easy listening in the most positive sense. This album should be a wake-up call to slumbering folk enthusiasts. The song of the meadowlark is favoured over the holler of the dustman, right?
Comparisons to Planxty, Jethro Tull (at their quietest) and even Ralph McTell are fair, but what Bard have made here is a well-crafted album of perfectly likeable folk songs. Good work!